CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Freshman sensation Cooper Flagg delivered an impressive performance, contributing 17 points along with 14 rebounds, achieving his seventh double-double of the season by halftime. This enabled the No. 3 ranked Duke to defeat Virginia comfortably, finishing at 80-62 on Monday night.
Duke has continued to demonstrate its prowess, improving to a 23-3 overall record and 15-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Alongside Flagg’s standout performance, Kon Knueppel also added 17 points to the scoreline, marking the Blue Devils’ third consecutive victory since their only conference defeat to No. 18 Clemson on February 8.
For Virginia, Andrew Rohde offered solid support, scoring 15 points alongside five rebounds and five assists, helping his team to a 13-13 record overall and 6-9 in conference play.
Duke forward Maliq Brown, who hails from Virginia, suffered a suspected left shoulder injury with just over a minute remaining in the first half. Following the incident, he exited the game for the locker room and did not return to action.
In this well-executed victory, Duke shot 39% from beyond the arc, making nine of 23 attempts, while dominating the glass with a staggering 41-21 rebounding advantage. This efficiency ensured that the Cavaliers weren’t able to mount a serious threat against the Blue Devils. Duke began the second half explosively, putting together an 8-0 run that solidified their lead.
Virginia entered the game having won three matches in a row and four out of five, generating hopes for a late-season push. However, they struggled defensively against Duke’s athleticism, whose players shot a remarkable 53%. Dai Dai Ames also contributed to Virginia’s effort, scoring 15 points and reaching double figures for the fifth consecutive game.
One of the defining moments of the game occurred when Rohde delivered a precise pass intended for Taine Murray, who was cutting towards the basket for a layup. However, Flagg intervened with a key block on that attempt. Duke then capitalized with a three-pointer from Tyrese Proctor, part of a significant 16-2 run that widened their lead to 27-14 at the 8:19 mark of the first half.
Historically, contests between these two teams have been tightly contested, with every matchup from 2012 to 2023 concluding with a winning margin of 10 points or fewer. That trend was disrupted last year when Duke secured a 73-48 victory against Virginia.
Looking ahead, Duke will face Illinois in a nonconference game at Madison Square Garden in New York this Saturday, while Virginia is slated to visit North Carolina.
